Episode 1: Understanding Working Drawings

In architecture, the design of buildings in one of the primary responsibilities of an architect. The design is represented in 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional drawings. However, these drawing comes in many forms to enable those designs to be translated on site.

In the Architectural Design Series, the type of drawing used is called presentation drawings. Presentation drawings are drawings used for the purpose of presentation either to a client, the public, or for school purposes. These drawings show the functional arrangement and design of spaces without much detail in terms of the construction.

For the purpose of construction, drawings are prepared separately with complete dimensions and specifications of the design. These drawings are called construction drawings or working drawings.

Working drawings are used for the following purposes:

1. To convey technical information to the building team which include engineers, builders, and quantity surveyors.
2. To give full dimensions and specifications of the design, building materials and how they will be assembled on site.
3. To provide information that will guide the cost estimation of the project.
4. To provide construction details.
5. To identify the type of labour and workmanship needed for a project.
6. To form part of construction documents and tendering processes.

Working drawings should be comprehensive and easy to understand. Proper design graphics and graphical representation should be adopted. The drawings should be drawn accurately, properly dimensioned and all notes should be short and precise (try to avoid unnecessary repetition). Lastly, they should be drawn to an appropriate scale which allows for a detailed view of every aspect of the design.

Working drawings consist of the following drawings:

1. Site Plan
2. Foundation Plan
3. Floor Plan(s)
4. Roof Plan
5. Sections
6. Elevations
7. Construction Details
8. Reflected Ceiling Plan(s)
9. Schedules and Specifications

Other working drawings that are produced by other professionals include:

1. Structural Plans
2. Electrical Plans
3. Plumbing Plans, etc.

For the purpose of this series, we will be focusing on the following:

1. Site Plans
2. Floor Plans
3. Roof Plans
4. Sections
5. Elevations
6. Construction Details
7. Schedules and specifications

Stay tuned for the next post which discusses Site Plan Working Drawings.